Cleaning Nickel Cases
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dobedo
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First I run all my cases in an ultrasonic cleaner with a mixture of DI water, Lemishine dishwasher booster and dawn dish soap. After drying I then put them in my shaker using lizard bedding which is super fine ground walnut shells. It is so fine nothing sticks into the primer pockets,
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Highland Lofts
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I mix regular brass cases with nickel cases all of the time.
Water quality changes from one house hold to another. So levels of cleaners will result in different results.
What I use works for me, we are on city water.
My brother is on a well with hard water, he needs to use less Lemishine then I do.
I aways use hot tap water,, a cap full of ArmorAll Wash n Wax, a 1/2 teaspoon of Lemishine and a small squirt of Dawn Dish soap, tumble an hour with primers removed and I get clean primer pockets and the inside of the cases are clean as well.
After an hour I will drain the black water, rinse several times until the water is clear.
I'll fill the drum up again with hot water, add cap of ArmorAll Wash n Wax, let it run fifteen minutes and place on my drying racks.
Water quality changes from one house hold to another. So levels of cleaners will result in different results.
What I use works for me, we are on city water.
My brother is on a well with hard water, he needs to use less Lemishine then I do.
I aways use hot tap water,, a cap full of ArmorAll Wash n Wax, a 1/2 teaspoon of Lemishine and a small squirt of Dawn Dish soap, tumble an hour with primers removed and I get clean primer pockets and the inside of the cases are clean as well.
After an hour I will drain the black water, rinse several times until the water is clear.
I'll fill the drum up again with hot water, add cap of ArmorAll Wash n Wax, let it run fifteen minutes and place on my drying racks.
WeekendReloader
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I like clean brass for the main reason that it is clean. My hands and equipment stay nice and clean when I reload. My presses require less cleaning and maintenance.
True, it is not necessary for a functional reloaded round. Clean brass is necessary for me because I dislike the alternative.
CQB45ACP
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Me too but I've succumbed to liking it jewelry-like. Won't even attempt to explain it
ballman6711
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GeoDudeFlorida
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The only problem with a thread like that is it would quickly be overwhelmed by the dry vs. wet debate.
Some questions just can’t be asked without the “my way is the only right way” crowd cropping up.
CQB45ACP
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That's true but I'd like a count of the actual instances where someone forgot they were tumbling and realized it the next day. I love those stories. Reminds me of the timeS I've left my lawn sprinkler on overnight.The only problem with a thread like that is it would quickly be overwhelmed by the dry vs. wet debate.
Some questions just can’t be asked without the “my way is the only right way” crowd cropping up.
WeekendReloader
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When I started wet tumbling with SS pins (lemishine and AAW&W), I tried different lengths of time, hot and cold water, and different amounts of. I found, with my setup (small HF rock tumbler), that hot water and 1 hour gets me super shiny brass. Hot water and 30min gets me clean & semi-shiny. Cold water seemed to not activate the detergents as well and it would take at least 2 hrs for semi-shiny brass. I also found that I can pack the tumbler drum 90% full of brass and get excellent results.
I purchased a timer that plugs into the wall. I just press the "1hr" button and let it go while I do something else.
Well, obviously something is different about my process that causes my nickel brass to darken. It only involves the container, brass, cleaner and pins. Since I’m using d
I've done that and the brass didn't look any different than when I take it out immediately. I use distilled water and Frankford Arsenal cleaner. I know our tap water before the water softener and the softened water both change the color of my brass so I don't use it.
I took a little mothers polish and shined up the nickel brass in short order. That tells me this brass, its Remington is reacting with something I'm using. Since all I use is distilled water and Frankford Arsenal cleaner, I'm going to assume its the cleaner for now. Next time I wash it, I'll use a mild soap and no dedicated cleaner or citrus.
If they're still not shiny enough for me I'll tumble them in some type of mild media. I like blingy ammo!
If they're still not shiny enough for me I'll tumble them in some type of mild media. I like blingy ammo!
Highland Lofts
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Just keep switching things up until you find the right combination.
JohnMc
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Heat makes most chemistry go faster, including simple dissolving of stuff.
For soaps and detergents, heat softens up the greasy stuff, if not outright turning it liquid, making it easier for the soap to dissolve it, plus the molecules bump around faster anyway.
I do it all the time, (twice in the last 2 weeks) mainly because I'm busy and easily distracted (unless I'm focused on one thing in particular). Squirrel!! Comes out cleaner than it needs to be, shiny and just fine. The sauce used during these tragedies is a little liquid Tide, SS pins and a squirt of lemon juice and hard well water, in case that matters. I'm betting I've got busy and let it go for two days in the past with the same results. Smells better than my clothes do right out of the dryer
CQB45ACP
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Perpetual tumbling. What an idea. The machine continues running yet you can add or remove cases, media, or detergent the whole time. We'll have @jmorris throw one together this weekend.I do it all the time, (twice in the last 2 weeks) mainly because I'm busy and easily distracted (unless I'm focused on one thing in particular). Squirrel!! Comes out cleaner than it needs to be, shiny and just fine. The sauce used during these tragedies is a little liquid Tide, SS pins and a squirt of lemon juice and hard well water, in case that matters. I'm betting I've got busy and let it go for two days in the past with the same results. Smells better than my clothes do right out of the dryer
Just to tie a bow on this thread. I found a couple hundred nickel 9mm cases at the range Tuesday and decided to clean them using only distilled water and Dawn. Some of them were filled with dirt so I dropped them into a 5 gallon bucket with 2” of distilled water. I let them sit for an hour then swirled the bucket around until the water looked muddy.
I deprimed them after they dried and tumbled them with pins and a squirt of dawn and more distilled water. This is the result. I think the Frankford Arsenal cleaner was what made my previous attempt to clean nickel cases a failure.
I deprimed them after they dried and tumbled them with pins and a squirt of dawn and more distilled water. This is the result. I think the Frankford Arsenal cleaner was what made my previous attempt to clean nickel cases a failure.
GeoDudeFlorida
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That seems pretty much definitive. Have you considered sharing this with Frankford Arsenal?? Never know, they might be willing to supply you with the next generation of cleanser to try out.
Blue68f100
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Looks good but you have at least 1 45 acp in the batch of 9mm.
Soonerpesek
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Good eye.....
Highland Lofts
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Or is it a 9 inside of a 40 caliber?
LiveLife
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9mm inside 40S&W case will be tighter fitting.
Shivahasagun
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At the range i frequent .32 acp, 9mm, and .40 are very hard to pick out on the ground. I don't bother much with those, lost brass.
Getting my .45 acp brass shiny helps me find them pretty quick.
HOWEVER, I recently ordered .40 dies and found used nickle plated brass at a decent price. I'm hoping to keep them shiny and find them more easily on the ground.
I do prefer to handle cleaner brass and certainly like reliable extraction from chambers.
I dry tumble.
Getting my .45 acp brass shiny helps me find them pretty quick.
HOWEVER, I recently ordered .40 dies and found used nickle plated brass at a decent price. I'm hoping to keep them shiny and find them more easily on the ground.
I do prefer to handle cleaner brass and certainly like reliable extraction from chambers.
I dry tumble.
CQB45ACP
Member
A little dissent here--
I'm skeptical the Frankford cleaner alone is the culprit. Perhaps combined with the particular water used, but not the cleaner itself.
I have used nearly two dozen Frankford packets and my tap water on brass & nickel. The results are as good or maybe sometimes better than my other favorite, Cascade dishwasher pods and much better (well more consistent) than my squirt of Dawn & shake of lemishine. The only reason I don't use the Frankford is cost and ready availability vs Cascade.
As for the nickel, I have some very shiny & others not as shiny but it's the condition of the plating itself, not the cleanliness nor method of cleaning in my opinion.
I'm skeptical the Frankford cleaner alone is the culprit. Perhaps combined with the particular water used, but not the cleaner itself.
I have used nearly two dozen Frankford packets and my tap water on brass & nickel. The results are as good or maybe sometimes better than my other favorite, Cascade dishwasher pods and much better (well more consistent) than my squirt of Dawn & shake of lemishine. The only reason I don't use the Frankford is cost and ready availability vs Cascade.
As for the nickel, I have some very shiny & others not as shiny but it's the condition of the plating itself, not the cleanliness nor method of cleaning in my opinion.
doubleh
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I do most of my cleaning wet in small batches in a plastic jar now as I no longer clean over a hundred or so cases at one time any more. I add hot water from the kitchen sink with a few drops of lemon juice concentrate plus a drop or two of Dawn washing soap until it covers my brass about a third as much more than it takes to completely submerge the brass. Amount of water is not critical as I have covered it with as much more water as was necessary to submerge it. Screw the lid on snugly and shake the heck out the jar, sit it aside and leave it for a time, then shake again and then repeat after a time. Then wash it throughly with clean water and let dry. This makes nickel plated brass look new every time. With unplated brass the results vary depending how old and oxidized it is. All of it is always clean but it depends on how badly it has tarnished as to how shiny it is after the process.
Dry works as well and is a bit faster but I don't have to listen to the cleaner run with the wet method.
Dry works as well and is a bit faster but I don't have to listen to the cleaner run with the wet method.
I found a few nickel 45 ACP cases too.Good eye.....
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